Mr Durkan made the revelation on Friday (June 26), after having welcomed the publication of the feasibility study for a Deposit Return System for drinks containers in Scotland, published last month (see letsrecycle.com story).
Deposit systems see customers pay a small cash deposit when they buy a drink in a can or bottle, and get the money back when they return the item to a collection point.
The feasibility study assessed the benefits and challenges of introducing a scheme and explored the role that it could play in reducing litter, complementing local authority recycling services and improving the quality of materials collected for recycling.
Materials
According to the minister, the proposed system would accept the broadest range of materials and the suggested deposit would be between 10p and 20p depending on volume. Deposits would be returned manually by retailers or through automated reverse vending machines, he said.
Mr Durkan added: “A deposit scheme, giving 10p back on bottles, operated here in the past and I think there is the opportunity and appetite for the re-introduction of a similar scheme to reward people who return drink containers and in turn help the environment.
“I have been watching with interest the pilot Deposit Return System (DRS) in Scotland and am keen to see the outcome of their call for evidence of what the practicalities of such a scheme would be and what lessons we can learn here in the north.
“This scheme could play a key role in reducing litter and improving recycling services and I have requested an options paper from my officials on the desirability and feasibility of a DRS for Northern Ireland.”
News that Scotland is considering introducing a deposit scheme for drinks containers was not universally met with praise, with drinks brands among those expressing caution over the scheme.
In response to the feasibility study, Packaging Recycling Group Scotland, which is supported by a number of packaging producers, brands and recycling organisations, including Coca Cola Enterprises, Britvic, Red Bull, Nampak, Alupro, Recoup and others, issued its own report outlining the drawbacks of a deposit system (see letsrecycle.com story).
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